Message from the Co-Chairs
Our Annual Membership Reception is planned for Tuesday, May 22, at 7:00 p.m. The OPALGA Board of Directors is excited to provide an evening of food and beverages, socializing with friends, and welcoming newcomers. We are again especially pleased to present the Carol Zientek Award for Distinguished Service and the Brian Findlay Award for Outstanding and Long-Term Commitment to the organization.
We take great joy in hosting this event. It offers us an opportunity to thank our members for their continued gifts of their time, talent, and treasure to ensure the long-term viability of our organization. As President Bush is fond of saying, “Some say you are the elite, but I call you my base. ” Please join us for our “thank-you” reception on May 22.
Gay Pride Week is also just around the corner, and great activities are planned for OPALGA members and their guests. We are again teaming up with the Oak Park Area Convention and Visitors Bureau in the Chicago Gay Pride Parade—The Big “O” float will once again travel up Halsted and down Broadway in celebration of the Oak Park area LGBT community. If you would like to participate in the parade, please call The OPALGA Center at (708) 848-0273 for more information.
Do you like to paddle canoes or kayaks? A great outing is planned for the evening of July 29, a three-hour tour on the Chicago River. A gourmet dinner is included in the package. This event is cosponsored by our friends at BUNGALO. For more information, see the related article in this issue of Empower.
Last but not least, mark your calendars now if you haven’t already done so for the 11th Annual OPAL Gala on Friday, July 13. We will return to Elmcrest Banquets by Biancalana in Elmwood Park, where we will once again revel in the side-splitting antics of Georgia Ragsdale. It’s sure to be the best party of the year! Don’t miss it.
